MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) –It looks like it will take even longer than expected to declare a winner in Minnesota’s historically tight U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.
As of Thursday night, it appears as if the state canvassing board’s unofficial deadline of this Friday will be postponed due to an envelope of about 130 lost ballots from the city of Minneapolis. Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann said Thursday that, due to the “extraordinary circumstances,” the city now has until December 16 to locate the votes. That’s day the board is set to meet and take further action in the recount process.
“We won't meet our goal to have all ballots hand counted by the end of the day [Friday] unless the envelope returns in the next 24 hours,” Gelbmann told CNN.
Minneapolis Elections Director Cindy Reichert said she’s “not sure where [the missing envelope] would have gone” but that they’re “in the process of looking under everything.”
With most of the ballots recounted at this point, Coleman maintains his slim lead at about 300 votes.
Spokesmen for both campaigns would not immediately return requests for comment.
From CNN Politics
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this will NEVER end! I say put them in a room and let them UFC like fight it out. Whoever walks out is the senator.
Hmmmmm – isn't that Michelle Bachman with an envelope running her mouth – er, running down the street? Hate that woman.
A transition team loaded with lobbyists, a cabinet loaded with entrenched Washington politicians…yep, change you can believe in.
"It was the Grinch", claimed Al Franken. "He stole those ballots to ruin my Christmas and my chance for a cheesy book deal."
Please wake me up when this is resolved YAWN!
Howard Roark – It certainly beats four more wars.
Carl Rove has the ballots
Well, if he leads by about 300 votes, why are they waiting on 130 ballots to determine the winner. It's unfortunate that we could attain our filibuster proof status but 58 isn't that bad.
the "Coleman ahead by 300 votes" stat doesn't seem to comport with the MN Secretary of State's website, any explanations?
They should hold a new complete election. How can we trust the results when they are votes and envelopes that get lost and reappear again....Hold a new election and let the people of Minnesota decide again!!!
what bothers me is that if there was never this recount then there are people whose votes would not even be counted because they were "lost"...ridiculous
what if the "found" that 130 and then another 130 showed up?
I really pity this country!! How can anybody lose such an important thing as a ballot box .... I guess when you hire an incompetant 90 yr old (looking at the picture insert) with Alzheimer's, that's what will happen!!!
We need UN monitoring.
Chris – not all 90 or 80 year old people have alzheimers. Hope you stay young forever, with all your prejudices.
Franken is an idiot and I guarantee you he will "win". The Dems have no shame. Check out GloomBoom.com
hey OPRAH ,
YOU FAR LEFT WING NUT BAG !!!
TOO BAD !!!!
SARAH 2012
TEAMSARAH2012.COM
Must be cold in Maine tonight – ha ha ha ha
for Hunter hit the booze really early tonight – or this afternoon – ha ha ha ha
This race reminds me of the Olympic basketball game back in 72 between the US and the USSR....the bad guys just kept cheating at the end until they won.
A question for President Bush and my fellow Americans.
Here are a couple of questions I have for the president before he leaves office and a question I ask of anyone who can answer it. My first question president BUSH is how do you sleep at night for what you have done to this country? I would also like to know when are you going to take accountability for what you did by going into Iraq and what kind of idiots do you take us for? My heart goes out for your mother and I can understand her having a stomach ulcer, God knows I wouldn’t want to be related to the most hated person in this country ever!!!!!! Also my question to anyone who can answer it is actually two questions first being why isn’t president Bush and Vice president Chaney being able to just walk out of the White house Scott Freeeeeee????? Why aren’t they being impeached? ( I don’t get it). Also why isn’t vice president Chaney in jail for attempted murder when we have a” famous sports idle going to jail for shooting himself” not someone else himself?????? But our vice president Chaney can shoot another man dressed with a orange vest and say I didn’t see him!!!!!???? I hope all the skeletons come out of the white house closet when all is said and done!!! President Bush you shouldn’t be buying a house to live in you should be rotting in prison. And seeing your new home and it being in the richest part of Texas makes me want to throw up!!!!! You have some nerve to put America in the poor house and live in a mansion I hope you and your family sleep well at night!!! Another thing is what’s with all the laughing and kidding around you know it only makes us hate you more! So stand up and be responsible for what you have done and apologize to this country!!!!!
Your disappointed, disgusted, irate, fellow American ,you know one of the ones you put in the poor house due to your lack of attention to what was going on in this country to busy I guess!!!!
@Barbara in NC .... I apologise for age reference .... It is so frustrating thinking of unimaginable stuff happening these days .... I don't care who wins eventually. But, I want make sure that it is done right!
Bet they will resurface doubled for the DEM!
Please keep the recount honest! This is scary.
Great to hear of the Palin wingnuts – yay, 8 years of Dems in power! Thanks guys.
Franken's trying to cheat his way into office
let them draw straws.
America, wake up. How can you be this careless by loosing ballots.
Ballots are not lost, they are stolen.Please look for the thieves.
They are on the next stage.
Good grief...what freakin year is this??!!!
I still want them to find the ballots that they lost in Florida in the 2000 election.
Conservative,
To hear a republican be sarcastic about ballot manupulation is truly ironic. Can you say Florida? Even after seeing all the misfortune that has befallen us after Bush stole the election from Gore, you still havent learned your lesson. You all wanted Bush so badly, he was what you all viewed as the ideal republican candidate. What does that say about you all's sence of judgment?
Do the math people!!! It's mathematically impossible for the person who is behind by 300 votes to win, if there are only 130 votes outstanding! DUH!
Who is going to come and oversee our election process?
Xavier...can you say 2004 election when a group of dems in Michigan where caught tampering and forging ballots as well as trying to intimate voters to vote for Gore? And can you think back to Florida and all 4 times it was counted Bush was ahead each time by more and more votes.....OH yeah fast forward to this election can you say ACORN??? and their shaddy practices??
Blame President Bush, he must have them.
PLEASE!!!!
IN A SO-CALLED FREE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY LOSING VOTES IS COMPARABLE TO LOSING A WAR. THE MAIN BATTLE IN THIS WAR IS FOR DEMOCRACY. AFTER ALL THE GUNS, BOMBS AND SMOKE CLEARS, THE VOTE STANDS AS THE ONLY TRUE TEST OF DEMOCRACY. MAY THE BEST PERSON WIN. THE PEOPLE WILL SPEAK.
Franken needs to concede the election...something he should have done on election night. Recounting votes until you win doesn't work...take a lesson from Al Gore. After the recount President Bush still won by an even greater margin. Democrats can't accept defeat. I am a republican and conceded that we lost this year and will regroup for next time.
Yeah, Coleman is still winning! The Dems won't ever accept it though.
Just like I said...Franken has to win. The fix is in!
Al Franken must be having them in his pocket. He is an idiot. He shoudl accept his defeat. He is a loser.
They need to flip a coin and just maybe with luck. Coleman will loose and the country can move on.
As a Minnesotan, I truly hope that our legislators look at this fiasco and figure out another way to break ties, decide winners when the difference in their numbers are to close to be statistically sure.
I don't know if a "run off" system like GA has is the answer or not but it is a lot quicker and I feel it is at least as fair as the nonsense that is going on in our state right now.
Honest people make honest mistakes but the process that is going on now only makes us look inefficient and stupid.
We have been doing these things called elections every two years for the last 200 years, right? – you'd a thunk that we would have this process nailed down pact , but I guess we're not really serious about elections fraud – I smells a rat in this and am sure we'll "find" more misplaced envelopes in the very near future – shameless. I say it's long overdue for stringing up the people who we actually caught in this last set of congressional and general elections and make examples out of 'em. Those who voted in two locations for prosecute them to the max: if Plaxio Buress gets 3 yrs – these bastadges should get 6!
Live Free or Die!
Al Franken would be better served if he just walked away rather than trying to get Hary Reid to steal this electon for the failed actor and radio host.
diana panzarella,
I'll bet he was tossen and turnen,he tossed and tuned all night,he jumped out of bed ,tuned on the light,jumped back into bed it was the middle of the night.That should answer one of your harder questions.
Chill out,your over the top with your issues,mellow out,it's going to get worse.
Today we're gonna count them like it's '1999' – again! When will technology trickle down to the voting systems? Will someone please invite them into the 21st Century? Sigh.
What a gross waste of money. There has got to be a better way.
Minnesota is turning into one big joke in which you need to find a pivot man for the continuous participation of a circle jerk! Count what you have, and deal with the other hundred and thirty at another point and quite playing with your selves.
Minnesota! Get your act together!
@ chris @ stl - before you make disparaging comments about the abilities of the people counting the votes, you might want to re-read the article and see just how good your comprehension skills AREN'T. Nowhere does it say anything about losing a BALLOT BOX. (And I'm betting an ENVELOPE with 130 ballots in it could easily be misplaced considering the mountains of paper in those counting rooms.) Learn to read before posting your incorrect remarks, toots. And, hey, someday you too may be 90 years old– check back with us then & let us know how that's going for you, okay.
Everyone knows that republicans are steal elections so why even bother the recount. Just give this one to them since they weren't able to thief too many this time around with so many people watching them. They are hurting enough, just give them this one for the Gipper.
I doubt Franken will win, but in these cases the candidates have to do what they must to save face. This isn't Florida 2000 – Minnesotans tend to be more honest – it must be something to do with the cold.
And don't get me wrong – I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. It seems to be pretty clean.
Diana needs to take a chill pill. Is her happiness really dependent on seeing Bush "get what he deserves"? I'm sure Bush sleeps very well at night because the mistakes he has made (which admittedly are a LOT) are not crimes, they were mistakes, which had adverse consequences. The Bushies have done a lot of stupid things, but that does not mean it is criminal behavior. Just because we can't stand a politician's views or decisions doesn't mean we send him to jail. Good grief.
MN observer-Let's see, Jesse "The Body"Ventura as governor, RE-electing Michelle "McCarthy Was an Amature" Bachman, and now "finding" ballots, I'd say "inefficient and stupid" sums it up nicely.